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Copy 1 



PRICE 50 CENTS. 







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SOUL LIFE, 



OR 




nt and 



atupe, 



By 
Arthur B. Shedd. 



( "Equality of Rights — Justice to All.''' ) 




1904. 

South. Eraint-ree, 

Mass. 




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> > > 






LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Cooies Received 

JUL 25 1904 

(\ Copyright Entry 
6LASS A- XXo. No. 
y COPY B 



/ 



Copyright, 1904, Sj 

Arthur B. Shedd. 






4 



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All are but parts of one stupendous whole, 

Whose body Nature is, and God the Soul. 

— Pope. 

Science, Art, and Law, with Love and 

Nature combine, 
To prove the origin of everything Divine. 

Deific Law. 

Law creates Life \ Life creates Love ; 
Love creates God ; God creates Love ; 
Love creates Life ; Life creates Law. 
Law is Life ; Life is Love ; Love is God ; 
God is Love ; Love is Life ; Life is Law. 
Law, Life, Love and God combined form 
Nature — thus Nature is the Deific ex- 
pression of Law, L'fe, Love and God- 
Consequently, Nature is Law ; Nature is 
Life ; Nature is Love ; and Nature is God. 



i. 



I 



And the Spirit of Nature is Ethereal- 
ized Chemical Law — which is self-exist- 
ent, co-existent and eternal. Thus Chem- 
ical Law is the Motor-Power of all 
expressions of Nature — which is God, 
Life, Love and Law. Thus Chemical 
Law is the basis of everything. 

As Man is an expression of Life ; Man 
is an expression of Love ; Man is an ex- 
pression of God ; Man is an expression 
of Nature : therefore, Man is a part and 
parcel of Life ; of Love-; of God and of 
Nature. 

As all things are governed by Chemical 
Law — thus whatsoever Man executeth is 
the result of Chemical Law. Therefore, 
the works of Man are an expression of 
God. 

The more perfected Man (male or fe- 
male) becomes in his work, the nearer 
he approaches unto the Divine. And the 
more perfected the expression of Man's 
work becomes, the nearer it coincides 
and harmonizes with the expressions of 
Nature, or Deific Chemical Law. 

Art in all its branches is an expression 
of Man's work. As Man's work is an ex- 
pression of Deific Chemical Law ; and 

2. 



Nature is an expression of that same 
Deific Chemical Law. Thus Art and Na- 
ture must be parts and parcels of one and 
the same, yet of different degrees or 
grades of unfoldment and development. 

Therefore, God and Man must be parts 
and parcels of one and the same — yet of 
different degrees of physical unfoldment 
and Soul refinement and development. 

As the whole cannot exist without all its 
parts — therefore, God and Man must of a 
necessity be eternal, without beginning 
and without end. 

The whole expression of Nature is con- 
tingent to and dependent upon each and 
every part of itself. Therefore, if the 
most minute atomic part or parcel of the 
expression of Nature should be lost or 
become annihilated — then the whole ex- 
pression of Nature would cease, as a con- 
necting link would be gone, and there 
would be nothing to join the dismembered 
particles of the expressions of Divine 
Nature, or Deific Chemical Law and all 
would instantly cease and become ex- 
pressionless. 

Take, for instance, an elaborate and 
intricate system of Electrical mechanism, 



every part of which is in peifect working 
order; and let the most minute wiie be 
severed, and the entiie system of Electii- 
cal mechanism instantly ceases to work ; 
and nothing can make it work until the 
connecting link has been restored. 

Each and every part and particle of 
Nature is co-existent, and in harmony 
with each and every other particle of Na- 
ture and natural expression — similar to 
each wheel, and each and every part that 
goes to form the mechanism of a watch — 
and each and every part and particle is 
individual in itself, yet co-existent with 
and dependent upon each and every ad- 
joining part and particle to form the en- 
tirety of the mechanism — yet, being indi- 
vidual in itself, is essential to its specific 
sphere of work, its specific sphere of posi- 
tion, and its specific sphere of existence, 
and is of no account outside of that speci- 
fic sphere of work, position, and existence. 

The most minute part and particle is 
as essential to its specific work, position, 
and existence, and to the existence and 
harmony of the whole, as is the greatest 
part and particle in Nature and natural 
expression of Chemical Law. 



Life is motion : and motion is Life. 
Without motion there is no Life ; and 
without Life there is no motion. Thus, 
vibratory and harmonic action form the 
Basic Principle and existence of Chemical 
Law. 

Without that vibratory and harmonic 
action there would be no Life ; and 
without Life there would be no existence. 

All vibratory action causes friction ; and 
all friction causes deterioration or change. 
Thus change is the essential Basis that 
sustains Chemical Law. Thus harmonic 
vibratory action and change are the essen- 
tials that sustain Perpetual Motion — and 
Perpetual Motion is Chemical Law. 

Therefore, Harmonic Vibratory Action, 
Change, and Perpetual Motion are the 
three Essential Basic Principles of Chem- 
ical Law ; and as such are Self-creative, 
Self-existent, Co-existent, and Eternal — 
without beginning and without end. 

Mortals are wont to call change, 
"Death," yet Change is the essential 
element of existence. Existence is Life ; 
and Life is growth. Therefore, what 
mortals term "Death," is birth into a 
higher life. And birth into a higher life 



gives place to, and space for a succeeding 
birth into a higher life. 

With all change there is a complexity 
of motions and existence, and, as it were, 
cycles vibrating around a cycle in each 
and every direction, and blending and 
co-mingling one with the other in har- 
monic and specific action — yet in no 
instance clashing one with the other. 

Thus it will be readily seen that change 
(otherwise called "death") is essential 
to Life, growth, and existence throughout 
each and every branch, avenue and path 
of Nature and natural expression through 
the action of Chemical Law. 

Thus in every course of reasoning you 
begin where you end, and end where you 
began — for everything goes in cycles : 
and it may be truly said that all Life 
simply begins where it stops. 

Thought, 

Thought is the evolution of refined 
Law, Life, Love, God and Nature ; and 
as such is the rarefied refinement or vital 
spark of rarefied and Deified Chemical 
Law made manifest through the muiti- 
tudenous expressions of Nature and 

6 



natural things. Thus Thought is the 
Vitalizing Principle or impitus center of 
Soul-life embodied in and controlling Dei- 
fied Chemical Law. Therefore, Thought 
is the vitalizing Principle or Soul-center 
of everything ; and being thus, is contained 
in and controls everything. 

Through the evolutionary influence of 
Thought-life, and the refining power of 
deified Chemical Law, all things will grad- 
ually be moulded over, modeled, and re- 
modeled by and through this refining 
process, until all crude, undeveloped and 
gross unfoldment throughout Nature and 
natural things, will be shorn of their crude- 
ness, and gradually be evolved into a 
higher plane of existence, and eventually 
shine forth with a brighter effulgence and 
a fresher and more charming fragrance, 
until the deific vitalizing principle shall 
be revealed in and through everything. 
Even as the diamond, which, when first 
found, reveals but its crude and undevel- 
oped nature ; but by and through the 
refining process of continual grinding and 
shaping under the hand of the skillful 
artist, who, by continual practice and skill, 
is enabled to thus remodel and reshape 



the crude stone until it reveals the Deific 
principle of Nature that is embodied in 
its pure and refined crystals, and that 
Deific principle shines forth with all the 
brilliancy and effulgence of its nature ; so 
that the brilliancy and effulgence of its 
nature speaks to all and declares that 
there is a vital spark of Soul-life even in 
the apparently inanimate substance of the 
Mineral Kingdom. 

Thus Thought, which is the vitalizing 
principle of Soul-life, is revealed in every- 
thing, and proves that the origin of every- 
thing is Divine. 

But as all things in Nature reveal the 
crude and undeveloped form first, and 
then by and through the refining process 
of Evolution, under the skilful hand of the 
artist, gradually reveal the glories lying 
dormant within, and from crude and 
unshapely objects gradually become 
moulded and remodeled until they reveal 
shapes and forms of beauty, even unto 
the Divine. 

Even so with Thought. 

The first stages of Thought or Mental 
unfoldment are crude, gross, and even 
vulgar. Yet, by and through the refining 

8 



process of evolutionary unfoldment, 
Thought becomes shorn of its crudeness 
and vulgarity, and under the skilful hand 
of the artist of Deified Chemical Law, 
Thought takes on and reveals all the 
beauties and effulgent glories of refined 
Deific Nature that lie dormant within, yet 
only await to be awakened by the music 
of the Spheres to spring forth into active 
life and reveal the purity and beauties of 
the Soul of things. 

This refining process shall go on eter- 
nally still revealing more beyond, and 
more beauties to be unfolded to Mankind. 

Harmony and Order. 

Harmony and Order are the grand 
fundamental principles that pervade all 
things in Nature; and by and through 
this mighty and potent influence are all 
things controlled and great things accom- 
plished. So likewise in Art and in all 
the works of Man there must exist that 
harmony and order in order to accom- 
plish the best results from the amount of 
labor expended. 

The nearer the works of Man attain to 
the perfection of harmony and order, the 



nearer to the Divine principle of Life in 
Nature do the works of Man approach, 
and the more perfected the work becomes. 

Therefore, if a man's mechanism is not 
in harmony, and he works not on a prin- 
ciple of order, the productions of his 
labor will not have the finish that a good 
and harmonious workman can give to his- 
productions. 

All the works of Man embody, to a 
greater or less degree, in their individual 
makeup, the characteristic tendencies 
and the ideality of the individual mechan- 
ic or artist performing that work : and to 
a greater of less degree will those charac- 
teristic tendencies, eccentricities and ca- 
prices exert an influence upon those per- 
sons who may come in contact with those 
productions. 

More particularly is this fact noticed 
by mechanics while working on machinery 
— for there are certain machines which 
certain individuals cannot do anything 
with, while others persons can work them 
to perfection. 

A machine requires to be studied and 
its eccentricities understood, even as a 
child needs to be studied and understood. 



10 



And when the mechanic fully understands 
the eccentricities of his machine he can 
do with that machine any kind of work 
that comes within the category of its ca- 
pacity. But until the eccentricities of 
that machine are understood, very 
many persons can only get poor work 
from that machine, and even then not 
nearly its capacity and scope of power 
and achievement. 

Strange as it may seem — nearly all ma- 
chines have marked and strong individual 
characteristics and tendencies, which are 
often as marked as the individual charac- 
teristics and tendencies of a human being 
or those of an animal. 

To illustrate. During the years from 
1873 to 1878 there was an engine named 
"Sailor Boy," running on the Middlesex 
Central Railroad, a branch of the Boston 
and Lowell Railroad. The individual 
characteristics and tendencies of this loco- 
motive were so marked that there were 
but two engineers who were then em- 
ployed by the Boston and Lowell Railroad 
Company who sufficiently understood 
these individual characteristics to enable 
them to successfully manage the engine 

11 



and make it do the work of an ordinary 
engine. None of the other many engi- 
neers employed at that time by the Com- 
pany were enabled to manage this engine 
with sufficient success to make the sched- 
ule time. 

One of the engineers said, that in order 
to start this locomotive when attached to 
a train of cars, it was necessary to open 
the throttle wide, that is, to its fullest 
capacity, and as soon as the wheels began 
to revolve it was necessary to shut the 
steam almost completely off, and gradual- 
ly open the throttle again. He also stated 
that by opening the throttle gradually the 
steam would apparently have no effect 
upon the engine until the throttle was 
opened wide. He also stated that unless 
the steam was shut almost off as soon as 
the w r heels commenced to revolve and the 
throttle gradually opened again, the en- 
gine would acquire such speed as to run 
away with the train. 

Therefore, the nearer perfection of har- 
monious blending and symmetrical action 
a mechanic has attained by and through 
the action of self-control, the nearer per- 
fect and free from eccentricities the ma- 

12 



chine will be that that mechanic manu- 
factures. The nearer perfect and free 
from eccentricities a machine becomes, 
the greater number of individuals can 
successfully work that machine and get 
the greater results from the amount of 
labor expended. 

Therefore, it behooves us all to look 
well within and see to it that we success- 
fully control our passions and overcome 
the eccentricities of our nature that our 
productions may bear the stamp of per- 
fect workmanship and freedom from 
eccentricities. 

Labor of Love. 

The nearer in harmonious blending and 
symmetrical action the mental and physi- 
cal actions of one's nature arrive to a state 
of perfection, the labor performed by that 
individual will become a labor of love ; 
and the nearer perfect love that labor of 
love becomes, the greater the results will 
be that follow that labor of love, and the 
greater happiness that person will derive 
from that labor of love. And when that 
individual arrives at the advanced stage 
of perfection to successfully embody and 

l 3 



utilize that labor of love, then that individ- 
ual will find his or her greatest happiness 
while performing that lator of love. The 
greater happiness one finds in "performing 
that labor of love, the more refined and 
spiritually developed that individual be- 
comes, and the farther that individual is 
removed from the carnal desires of the 
physical which have a tendency to drag 
the Soul down and enslave it with such 
passions as selfishness, greed, love of gain 
and love of tyrannical power. 

All low and degrading passions and 
evil thoughts have a powerful tendency to 
enslave and enshackle the Soul and the 
Spirit of an individual, even as the galling 
chains bind the serfs and slaves in physi- 
cal bondage. 

Therefore, if we wish to advance in 
true refinement and spiritual and Soul 
unfoldment and development, we must 
seek to free ourselves from all low and 
degrading passions and tendencies, and 
endeavor to overcome all selfishness, 
greed, prejudice, hatred, envy, love of 
gain, and love of tyrannical power : and 
seek to replace those evil tendencies and 
passions by thoughts and desires of phi- 

14 



lanthrophy, justice, equity, mercy, love of 
humanity, and love of the good, beautiful 
and true in Nature. 

By beautiful, we mean that quality of 
the Soul of things that shines forth with a 
radiance divine. 

Thus the artist painter transcribes his 
or her very being upon the canvas, and 
the individual characteristics, eccentrici- 
ties and caprices of the artist stand out, 
as it were, in relief in that artist's work, 
and the tone of the picture ofttimes pro- 
claims the artist who executed it. 

Thus, if the artist's life work and his 
whole being, as it were, is devoted to and 
concentrated on the production of har- 
monious blending and symmetrical co-ad- 
jution in his works to that extent that the 
labor performed on those works shall be- 
come strictly a labor of love, and not 
simply a desire to excel for the sake of 
worldly gain, or for fame, then the pro- 
ductions of that artist will shine forth 
with a fresher and more charming fra- 
grance, and the love of that artist's life 
will shine forth from his productions, and 
the very canvas will speak forth with a 
living radiance, and will glow with the 



imprint of the Divine. And that artist's 
name will, as a natural result of contingent 
causes, be handed down to posterity as 
one of the great masters ; and that artist's 
productions will become famous, and will 
be eagerly sought by all true lovers of Art. 

What is true of the Artist Painter, is 
also true of the Artist Sculptor ; and also 
of the Artist Musician ; also of the Artist 
Poet; and of the Artist Literarian. 

Therefore, what thine hands find to do 
for the good of Man, and for the upbuild- 
ing, elevation, education, refinement, and 
spiritual and Soul development of the 
Human Race, that do with all thy might, 
thou mayst be enabled to accomplish the 
best results from thy labor, and that thy 
productions may bear the imprint of the 
Divine, and prove that thou art approach- 
ing nigh unto the Divine Principle of the 
Universe, and that thou art embodying in 
thy nature the true Principle of Divine 
Love which is God. 

Thus God speaks in all the works of 
Man, as well as in the works of Nature, 
proving that Man and God are both parts 
of the grand Principle of Life eternal, and 
being thus, are one and inseparable. 

16 



As the perfection of the Divine Princi- 
ples of Harmony, Love, and Truth com- 
bined constitute the chief end of Man, it 
behooves us all to see to it that we thus 
make our lives embody those three grand 
Principles of Life, and free ourselves from 
the embodiment of all that has a tenden- 
cy to degrade the Soul and drag it down 
from its high estate of being one with God. 

When an artist has not the coadjution 
of genius and the labor of love to infuse 
into his work, then the productions of 
that artist's exertion, though they may be 
finely executed and handsome in design, 
yet they will not embody that coadjution 
or mutual assistance and harmonic blend- 
ing of tone and color — that vitalizing 
principle which gives the glow and imprint 
of the Divine. 

Therefore, when the artist, from .an 
unselfish motive, puts his whole Soul into 
his work, then the productions of that 
artist's work will shine forth with a radi- 
ance Divine and will glow with a power 
that will reach the very Soul of those who 
behold their magnificent splendor of 
design and execution. * 

Art and Nature go hand in hand. As 

17 



Art is one with Nature, yet of a different 
degree of unfoldment ; Art is, therefore, 
dependent upon Nature for its inspiration. 
As Nature is the work of God, and Art is 
the work of Man, and as God and Man 
are parts and parcels of the same, yet of 
different degrees of unfoldment, and as 
such are inseparable, and each is depend- 
ent upon the other for an existence. As 
Art is the work of Man, and is dependent 
upon Nature for its inspiration, it is also 
dependent upon Man for its ideality ; 
and it is, consequently, dependent upon 
both Nature and Man for its individuality. 

The more perfected Art becomes, the 
more the productions of Art intermingle 
and coincide with Nature in harmony of 
conception, symmetry of expression, deli- 
cacy of execution, and beauty of design. 
Thus Art and Nature are individualized 
and separate — yet one and inseparable, 
and, consequently, interchangeable one 
with the other. 

Art in all its branches is governed by 
the Laws of Nature. Yet being governed 
by the Laws of Nature, is subject to and 
dependent upon the idealities, eccentrici- 
ties, caprices, and characteristics of the 

18 



individual artist who executes the work. 
And in proportion to the brain-calibre, 
will-power, conception, genius, and ability 
of the artist, and the character, range, 
and design of the subject, and the ability 
and limit of the branch of Art to produce 
and represent the subject, will the limit 
and scope of that artist's work be found. 
And that limit and scope will be found to 
vary with each branch of Art, each subject 
of the artist, and with each artist dealing 
with the subject, and the branch of Art. 
And all will vary inversely in the same 
proportion. 

This is the reason why we find such 
widely differing results from different 
artists dealing with the same subjects. 
For each one will bring out in relief some 
particular feature of the subject that the 
others will appariently overlook in treating 
the subject. 

If an artist attempts to follow Nature 
in every detail, simply by imitation of 
design, without the toning power of ideal- 
ity to soften and give the expressions of 
life thereto, that artist's productions will 
have a stiff and unnatural appearance. 
For it requires the ideal conception of the 

*9 



artist to give the vitalizing and life-like 
appearance to the productions of the 
artist. 

Art, which is the work of Man, yet one 
with Nature, is, like Nature, dependent 
upon both mental and physical exertions 
for its growth and development. For 
when the work of Man is executed solely 
by the physical exertions free from and 
independent of the mental activity and 
exertions of the Mind, dominated over 
and influenced by the Soul in its progres- 
sive unfoldment and the perfectability of 
the work the Soul is engaged in, then that 
man becomes, as it were, only a machine, 
and the work of that man is simply and 
solely manual labor, and, in consequence 
thereof, that work ceases to be Art. For 
Art is dependent upon and requires the 
mutual assistance of the Mind and Soul 
for its perfectability and development. 

The more perfected the Soul becomes 
during its earthly pilgrimage, the higher 
will be its plane of existence when it is 
again freed from the environments of the 
physical ; and the greater enjoyment it 
will find in working for the advancement 
of Humanity and for the upbuilding of 

20 



the cause of Truth, and the nearer it will 
approach unto the Divine Principle of 
Life and Nature. 

The higher the plane of existence that 
the Soul dwells in during its earthly 
pilgrimage, the less number of times the 
Soul will require to re-incarnate during its 
journey toward the perfectability and 
rounding out of the Soul in its nigh 
approach unto the Divine Life of Nature. 

Progression and Evolution. 

When a primal Soul-entity is born into 
Physical life, it is in a crude and undevel- 
oped state of existence allied nigh unto 
Animal life — as it partakes of the nature 
of all lower forms of life. 

All forms of Animal life, are animated 
by an intuitive Intelligence in harmony 
with the form of life represented ; and 
that intuitive Intelligence is drawn from 
the great Sea of Intelligence or source of 
Life. And when the intuitive Intelligence 
animating the lowest form of independent 
physical existence passes out of physical 
life by the change called "death," it is 
merged into the great Sea of Intelligence 
from whence it came, to be, in turn, taken 

21 



up in part by the next higher grade of 
independent organized life ; and at the 
close of the life of that organized form, 
the intuitive Intelligence is again merged 
into the vast Sea of Intelligence — and so 
on, until, by evolutionary unfoldment and 
development, a portion of that vast Sea 
of Intelligence has progressed sufficiently 
to become an individualized Soul-entity, 
and to start on its first earthly pilgrimage 
as an individualized Soul-entity — and 
thereafter it never loses its identity as an 
individualized Soul-entity — but Progresses 
onward and upward through succeeding 
stages of earthly pilgrimages, until it is 
freed from all the crude and undeveloped 
conditions of the many gradations of life 
through which it has passed since first 
having formed a portion of the intuitive 
Intelligence of the lower organized for- 
mations of physical life on earth. 

This primal physical, spiritual and Soul 
birth of the individualized Soul-entity is 
strictly in accordance with the Laws of 
Nature governing such births into physical 
existence. 

But in all succeeding earthly pilgrim- 
ages of the said individualized Soul-entity, 



22 



a more refined and more highly devel- 
oped Law of life is utilized by the Soul- 
entity in addition to the physical Laws of 
birth conditions into physical life. 

When the primal Soul-entity first starts 
on its individualized existence in physical 
life it is very closely allied unto the crude 
animal life existence and is very averse to 
all forms of literary or educational life. 
Its natural tendency leads it to a life of 
indolence and ease, it does everything at 
random, and abhors system of all kinds, 
it will avoid as far as possible all exertions 
to labor of any kind, preferring to roam 
about, hunting, fishing and sleeping, in 
accordance with the natural tendencies 
of animal life. 

When the primal existence of this 
individualized Soul-entity reaches the time 
for its transition into its primal existence 
as an individual Soul-entity in spirit life — 
when it throws off its physical existence 
at the change called "death,' ' it hovers 
for years in the lower strata of spirit exist- 
ence closely allied unto the earth, (and 
in many cases not realizing for a long 
time that it has passed through the earth- 
ly portal into spirit life) , until it feels the 

*3 



desire to reach out for something higher 
and grander in spirit life. When it begins 
to utilize the experiences of its earthly 
existence, then it begins to progress. 

When it has utilized as far as possible 
all the experiences of its earthly existence, 
it will, after a lapse of time, feel a desire 
for a higher step of unfoldment. 

Re-incarnation. 

It will then, according to the Laws of 
Nature in Spirit Life, look around to find 
a male and female organism in earth life 
best adapted to the needs of its develop- 
ment, and will cause them to cohabit at 
the time when the female is most likely 
to conceive, and during the act of copula- 
tion it controls the brain-forces of both 
the male and female organisms and be- 
comes the mentality of the act, while the 
natural forces of the male and female 
organisms form the physical organism that 
it desires to inhabit. It then remains 
within the aura of the female during the 
period of gestation, and at the time of the 
physical birth it takes possession of the 
new physical organism and starts on its 
second earthly pilgrimage as an individ- 

24 



ualized Soul-entity. This same Law of 
birth-conditions is utilized by the Soul in 
all its succeeding re-incarnations on this 
earthly plane of physical existence. 

The question is often asked : - "If re- 
incarnation is a fact, why is it that we do 
not retain a memory of our previous 
earthly existence ?" 

We will reply : - That it is from a wise 
provision . of the Supreme Intelligence. 
The natural tendency of the human being 
is to ease and comfort. And as a rule, 
during an earthly pilgrimage, man (male 
or female) develops one faculty of the 
brain. Now, in that person's next exist- 
ence in earthly pilgrimage, if he retained 
the memory of his previous earthly exist- 
ence, the natural tendency would be to 
follow on in the groove of the same brain 
faculty — and the object of the renewed 
earthly existence would be lost. But not 
retaining that memory, he takes up an- 
other branch of the brain-force and devel- 
ops another faculty. And so on through 
succeeding earthly existences until all the 
faculties of the brain become developed 
and rounded out toward the perfected 
man, male or female. 

25 



The length of time that each individ- 
ualized Soul-entity dwells in physical life 
is governed by Planetary and Evolution- 
ary Law. 

The time, also, for each individualized 
Soul-entity to re-incarnate is also gov- 
erned by Planetary and Evolutionary Law. 

There is a form of re- incarnation that 
is very rarely utilized, and it is this : - 

When a Soul-entity in physical life, 
whose physical body is in a good healthy 
condition, has reached the time when 
Evolutionary Law requires that it should 
leave its physical body and enter the 
Spiritual Realms — 

And when a Soul-entity in spirit life 
reaches the time when Evolutionary Law 
requires that it should re-incarnate at the 
same time that the afore mentioned Soul- 
entity in physical life must leave its phys- 
ical body, the Soul-entity in spirit life is 
attracted to the Soul-entity in physical 
life and forces it out of its physical body 
into the spirit realms, and then the Soul- 
entity in spirit life takes possession of the 
aforesaid physical body and takes up the 
life forces thereof, and continues to dwell 
in that physical body without that physi- 

26 



cal body passing through the change 
called "death." 

In such instances, the friends of the 
former individual will wonder what makes 
that individual appear so strange to them. 

It will be because Souls dwelling in 
physical life do not see each other — they 
only see the physical body or the house 
the Soul dwells in. Were Souls dwelling 
in physical life enabled to see each other, 
they would then know, in such cases, that 
their friend had departed, and that an- 
other Soul-entity had come to take pos- 
session of the physical tenement of their 
friend. 

There is still another form of re-incar- 
nation, known as Amalgamation or tem- 
porary re-incarnation. 

In this form of re- incarnation the Soul- 
entity in spirit life amalgamates with a 
Soul-entity in physical life and both dwell 
in the same physical body, sometimes for 
a short time only ; and at other times the 
amalgamated incarnation lasts for years — 
the two Souls in one physical body. 

In cases of this kind, the friends of the 
individual are often extremely puzzled to 
understand their friend, for at times their 

27 



friend will speak to them in one tone of 
voice, and at other times it will be in an 
entirely different tone of voice. 

In some instances it will sometimes be 
the voice of an adult, and at other times 
the voice of a child. And often the 
actions will puzzle them. 

In other instances it will sometimes be 
the voice of a man, and at other times it 
will be the voice of a woman. 

In some instances they will declare 
their friend to be a perfect wonder — an 
actor. Yet in other instances they will 
declare their friend to be "crazy," simply 
because they are not capable of under- 
standing that there are two Souls dwelling 
in the one physical body. 

We use the term, dwelling in the phys- 
ical body, as it is generally understood by 
mortals. Yet this is an erroneous idea. 

What is known as the Aura of an indi- 
vidual, surrounding the physical body, is 
an ethereal force of will-power in which 
the spirit body exists, and this spirit body 
is the true dwelling place of the Soul-enti- 
ty, and the Soul-entity controls the physi- 
cal body by concentrating its Will-power 
on certain organs of the physical brain. 

28 



The Soul-entity is not encased in the 
physical body, as is generally believed. 
But it dwells in the aura outside of the 
physical body, and is attached to the 
physical body by a vital magnetic cord. 

This magnetic cord is never severed as 
long as life exists in the physical body. 
And, in fact, in most instances, this vital 
magnetic cord is seldom completely sev- 
ered and the Soul-entity entirely freed 
from the physical body until three days 
after the physical body ceases to live. 
Whatever is done to the physical body 
during those three days after the physical 
life ceases, is keenly felt and suffered by 
the Soul, as much so as though the physi- 
cal body was alive. 

The custom of placing the physical body 
on ice after death is an extremely errone- 
ous custom, for it not only causes the Soul 
to experience the pain of freezing and 
extreme cold, but it also retards the dis- 
solution of the vital magnetic cord, and 
causes the Soul to remain longer with the 
physical body than it otherwise would. 

In cases of a long and wasting sickness 
the vital magnetic cord is more readily 
severed and the Soul freed from the phys- 

29 



ical body more quickly than it would be 
under ordinary circumstances. 

Sometimes the control of the physical 
body is simply by the concentration of 
the will-power upon the physical brain 
faculties. But generally the actions of 
the physical body are controlled by the 
Soul-entity placing its spirit hand upon 
the different organs of the physical brain, 
and the force thereof is transmitted 
through the physical body to produce the 
desired effect. 

To illustrate the principle of brain 
control, we will compare the physical 
brain to the key-board of a musical instru- 
ment, and compare the Soul-entity to the 
musician. To produce the desired effect 
of harmony, the musician touches the 
keys which produce the notes desired, 
and the system of levers connecting the 
keys with the wires, strings or reeds, set 
certain notes into vibratory action, and 
the desired effect of harmony of sound is 
produced. 

Even so with the physical brain. When 
the will-power of the Soul-entity touches 
certain organs of the physical brain, the 
muscles and nerves (which correspond to 

30 



the levers of the musical instrument) are 
set in motion, causing the desired effect 
upon the physical body, and the desired 
action is produced. 

Every Soul-entity attached to physical 
life has a guardian or guide in spirit life, 
and that guardian is always "en rapport' ' 
with the Soul-entity under its care. 

To illustrate the principle of what is 
known as spirit communication upon the 
physical brain of a medium. We will 
compare the physical brain of the medi- 
um to the "central' ' switch board of a 
telephone station. 

When a Soul-entity in spirit life desires 
to communicate through a medium, the 
guardian or guide connects the will-power 
of that Soul-entity with certain organs of 
the physical brain of the medium, and 
the said Soul-entity transmits the thoughts 
and actions desired, and the physical 
organism of the medium reproduces them, 
and the communication is given. 

The aura surrounding the physical 
body, in which the spirit body exists, is so 
transparent that it cannot be seen by the 
physical eye, yet, sensitive persons will 
often feel disagreeable if another individ- 

3i 



ual comes near enough to them so that 
the aura of one will touch the aura of the 
other ; and this feeling is often sensed 
even when the sensitive person does not 
see or hear the approach of the other 
person. This disagreeable feeling is like 
unto the sensation of being crowded or 
not having room enough to feel free. 

Re-incarnation by amalgamation is not 
so frequently utilized as is the re-incarna- 
tion by birth conditions, for the birth 
conditions bring many experiences to the 
Soul that it would not have through the 
process of amalgamation. 

Cremation. 

There is another point right here that 
we will touch upon, and that is Cremation. 

Fire causes dissolution of physical ele- 
ments, and rarification of atmospheric 
elements. Were all physical bodies to be 
cremated, it would rob the earth of cer- 
tain elements that are necessary to its fer- 
tility, and it would also make the atmos- 
pheric elements so rarefied that it would 
be difficult for physical beings to breathe 
with the freedom that healthy physical 
conditions require, for certain elements 

32 



would be taken out of the atmosphere 
that are necessary to the healthy growth 
and development of the physical body. 

The cremation of about one body in 
five hundred would have a tendency to 
hasten the evolutionary development of 
physical conditions on earth, but beyond 
that number the tendency would be detri- 
mental to the best results. 

From another point of view, also, cre- 
mation is a detriment to evolutionary un- 
foldment. And the custom of embalming 
the physical body comes in the same class 
of detriment to the Soul's progressive un- 
foldment in spirit life. 

The Soul obtains a great deal of knowl- 
edge and experience by watching the nat- 
ural decomposition and the chemical dis- 
solution of the elements of its own physi- 
cal body. In case of cremation the de- 
composition and dissolution are so rapid 
that the Soul cannot grasp the modus op- 
erandi thereof, and the experience is lost. 

In case of the physical body being 
embalmed, the decomposition and disso- 
lution of the physical body do not take 
place, but the body shrivels and dries up, 
and the experiences are also lost. 

33 



The question now arises : Why cannot 
the Soul obtain the same experiences by 
watching the decomposition and dissolu- 
tion of other physical bodies than its own? 

We will reply : In part it can do so, yet 
the Soul is thoroughly conversant with its 
own physical body and know r s every defi- 
ciency and peculiarity thereof, and is 
seeking the why and wherefore of each 
particular construction and peculiarity of 
its own physical body. 

As no two bodies are exactly alike, and 
the Soul is not conversant with the pecu- 
liarities of the physical body of another, 
it does not take the same interest in the 
decomposition and dissolution of another 
physical body that it would in watching 
the same process of its own body. Not 
taking the same interest in the process, 
and not being familiar with the peculiari- 
ties of the other body, it cannot apply the 
cause and effect thereof, and the utility 
of the experience is lost. 

We will ask — Why does not one indi- 
vidual profit by the experiences of anoth- 
er in physical life? 

The reason is because one person is 
not conversant with the facts and circum- 

34 



stances leading up to the experiences of 
the other, and cannot to his or her own 
comprehension reasonably apply the cause 
and effect thereof. 

The Effects of Burial. 

The question now arises : - When the 
physical body is buried in the earth is the 
Soul confined there with it until the body 
is thoroughly decomposed? If not, how 
can the Soul watch the natural decompo- 
sition of its physical body when its body 
is buried in the earth? 

In answer to the first question we will 
state that in cases where the physical 
body is confined in an hermetically sealed 
metallic casket, and the physical body was 
placed therein before the Soul had entire- 
ly separated from its physical body, in 
such cases the Soul would be confined a 
prisoner within that metallic casket until 
the natural decomposition of the metal of 
which the casket was composed allowed 
the atmospheric and chemical elements 
of the earth to penetrate to the physical 
body, and the natural decomposition of 
the physical body commenced. 

Under ordinary circumstances it will 

35 



require anywhere from twenty-five to fifty 
years, and in some extreme cases even 
one hundred years, for an hermetically 
sealed metallic casket to decompose suffi- 
ciently to allow the Soul to escape from 
the prison in which it has been placed 
through the mistaken kindness and igno- 
rance of its earthly friends. 

When the physical body is buried in a 
wooden casket the Soul is not confined 
in the earth with the physical body dur- 
ing the process of the body's decomposi- 
tion, but it visits its body daily to note 
the changes that are taking place in the 
body during its natural decomposition. 

We hear some one say — How can the 
Soul visit its physical body when it is bur- 
ied in the earth? 

In reply we will state that by natural 
laws, unknown to mortals, the Soul can 
temporarily decompose the elements of 
the earth sufficiently to pass and repass 
through the earth and visit its physical 
body at such times as it may desire to. 

Then you will ask : - Why cannot the 
Soul decompose the prison walls of its 
metallic casket and release itself from its 
living prison? 

36 



It is on account of the absence of air 
within the hermetically sealed casket, be it 
metal or stone, which prevents the physi- 
cal body from decomposing, and also pre- 
vents the Soul from utilizing the laws by 
which solidified matter can be decom- 
posed. For the air is one of the essential 
elements which render those laws of utility 
to the disembodied Soul. 

The sensation experienced by the Soul 
during all its years of imprisonment with- 
in an hermetically sealed casket, either 
metal or stone, is the same sensation as 
would be experienced by the Soul if its 
living body was. placed in such a confined 
position that it could not move either 
hand or foot. It is a living torture that 
the finite mind can scarcely form any 
adequate conception of. It is the same 
sensation as is experienced by the Soul 
when its physical body has become par- 
tially paralyzed, either by numbness or 
rigidity. Numbness is largely due to the 
stagnation of the circulating action of the 
vital fluid, or to the relaxation of the 
nerves and muscles ; and rigidity is caused 
by the presence of too much calcium, sili- 
con, or iron in the physical body. 

37 



We will state here that the nearer the 
earthly elements come in contact with the 
physical body when it is buried, the more 
quickly the natural decomposition thereof 
will take place, and the sooner the Soul 
will be freed from the necessity of making 
its visits to its physical body in order to 
note the progress of its decomposition. 

In cases where the physical body is 
buried in water, the water acts upon the 
body the same as the earthly elements, 
and is no hindrance to the Soul in visiting 
its physical body during the decomposition 
and dissolution thereof. 

In cases where the physical body is 
exposed to the atmosphere, the decompo- 
sition and dissolution are rapid, but it 
renders the air unhealthy for mortals to 
breathe. 

The customs of burial at the present 
time of placing the body in a close wood- 
en casket and then placing that casket in 
a close wooden box is not the best course 
to pursue. 

From the point of view of aiding the 
Soul to acquire its education of watching 
the natural decomposition of its physical 
body in as short a time as possible and 

38 



thus allow the Soul to pass on to its high- 
er branches of education, would be to 
bury the physical body in an osier casket 
made in open basket work, without any 
box, so that the earthly elements would 
come in contact with the physical body 
and thus hasten the natural decomposi- 
tion of the body. 

Anything that has a tendency to retard 
the natural decomposition of the physical 
body, also retards the Soul's development 
in its first course of study in spirit life. 

Embalming the physical body, which 
prevents it from decomposing, has a 
strong tendency to retard the SouPs 
onward and upward progress, for its body 
acts as a powerful magnet to draw the 
Soul back to the environments of the 
physical body. 

The custom of wearing black as a color 
of mourning, has a strong tendency to 
retard the Soul from freeing itself from 
its earthly environments, for it casts a 
feeling of gloom which is experienced by 
the Soul when coming in contact with 
earthly conditions, and makes it feel so 
sad and sorrowful that it keeps it attracted 
to its earthly environments a long time. 

39 



The custom of placing flowers around 
the graves of the departed friends is a 
powerful impetus to the advancement 
and onward progress of the Souls of the 
friends who have passed through the 
earthly portal and entered the spirit 
realm of light and life eternal, where love 
is the ruling power of the Soul. 

This custom is a much better sign of 
the appreciation and esteem of the friends 
on earth for their departed friends than 
the wearing of black as a color of mourn- 
ing ever can be. 

This custom carries a cheerful feeling 
to the departed Soul and bids it "God 
speed," and helps the Soul to free itself 
from its earthly environments and thus 
to progress onward and upward toward 
the realms of the Ethereal 

Any form of Religious teaching that is 
contrary to the Laws of Nature, has a 
tendency to enslave the Soul and mate- 
rially retard its advancement in spirit life, 
because the Soul will be obliged to free 
itself from the shackles of all such erro- 
neous teachings before it can advance in 
its onward and upward course of true 
Soul development and advancement. 

40 



The Judgment. 

The teachings of the vicarious atone- 
ment is one of the greatest hindrances to 
the true advancement and development 
of the Soul in its onward and upward 
course that the Soul has to contend with 
in freeing itself from the conditions of 
mental slavery with which it is environed 
during its earthly pilgrimage, for when it 
enters the spirit realms it will naturally 
seek to find that "Haven of rest' 7 where 
all of the redeemed are singing praises to 
the living God. But such an "Haven of 
rest" will never be found, either in the 
mundane world or the spirit world. 

Were the Soul to find such a place 
where it would sit and sing forever, its 
life would become so monotonous that it 
would very soon become a torture to it. 

The Golden Rule, which shineth with 
the effulgent glory of a diamond lustre, 

Whatsoever ye would that others 

should do unto you, do ye even so 

unto them. 

This is the only true foundation of 
a Religious teaching that will aid the Soul 

4i 



to free itself from the shackles of slavery 
with which it finds itself environed. 

The Soul will be obliged to stand on its 
own foundation and answer to an accusing 
conscience for all the misdeeds and 
injustices of its life on earth. As sure as 
the Sun rises and sets, just so sure will the 
Soul have to atone for all its evil deeds 
and injustices. 

All the evil deeds and injustices of life 
will be placed in one side of the balance ; 
and all of the good deeds of life will be 
placed in the other side of the balance and 
weighed by its own conscience whether 
the balance be for good or for evil. 

If the balance be for evil, the Soul will 
be obliged to sutler the stings and pangs 
of an accusing conscience until it has 
counter-balanced the deeds of evil, by 
deeds and acts of goodness and kindness. 

There is an eternal Law of Retribution 
and Recompense, and every Soul will be 
obliged to answer to it, and justice, in its 
strictest sense, will be done to all ; and 
all will eventually obtain the reward of an 
approving conscience, and shall experi- 
ence a joy and happiness unknown before. 

All growth, whether in the mundane 

42 



world or the spirit world, in order to be 
stable, must be gradual. Consequently, a 
person who has led a wayward life on 
earth, that person's Soul, through belief 
in God or any of His Agents, at the 
change called "death," cannot be trans- 
formed into a good and pure Soul at once. 
For the change would be so sudden that 
it would be like unto an explosion of 
dynamite, and would cause disruption 
and annihilation. But as annihilation is 
impossible, consequently, such a change 
is impossible. 

Let mortals consider well these ques- 
tions and free themselves from the shack- 
les of mental bondage and slavery while 
they are yet living in the physical body, 
so that when they pass through the change 
called "death," the Soul will find itself 
freed from many of its environments, and 
be enabled to take up its abode in a more 
advanced plane of life, and then it can 
the more rapidly progress in its upward 
and onward course of life eternal. 

At the moment of conception the indi- 
vidualized Soul-entity, whether primal or 
re-incarnated, enters a new cycle of exist- 
ence, and must continue in that cycle of 

43 



existence, either in this mundane world 
or the spirit world, until Evolutionary and 
Planetary Law dictate that it shall enter 
a higher cycle of existence. And it is 
obliged to work out its experiences of 
unfoldment to the end of its ultimate 
perfectability in the capacity of that dis- 
tinct cycle. 

Its mundane experiences go far toward 
rounding out the true development of its 
existence in that cycle. 

The experiences of its mother during 
the gestation of its physical body, known 
as its prenatal experiences, have a marked 
effect upon its life on earth in shaping its 
course during the first twenty years of its 
physical life. 

The training it receives and the influ- 
ence of its home environments will mate- 
rially shape its course during the second 
twenty years. 

The influence of its own experiences 
becomes the factor of its course during 
the remainder of its life in the mundane 
spheres. 

These experiences, as factors or indica- 
tors, are largely toned down by the influ- 
ence of the influx of light and truth that 

44 



the sensitiveness of its physical organism 
will permit it to receive from the ethereal 
or unseen spheres of life. 

Anything that robs the Soul of its full 
term of earthly experiences, has a tenden- 
cy to retard its unfoldment and develop- 
ment in that cycle of life existence, and 
it is obliged to make up the deficiency 
under handicapped conditions in spirit 
life. 

Any woman who attempts to destroy 
her offspring in its prenatal existence, is 
guilty of wilful and deliberate murder, if 
the attempt is successful. 

If the attempt is not successful, the 
offspring will become, to a greater or less 
degree, both mentally and physically 
deformed, and will be an ever present 
and living rebuke to her of her guilt. 

When the attempt is successful, she, 
through her ignorance of the Laws of 
Life, may think that no harm' is done to 
anyone. But when she passes through 
the earthly portal and enters spirit life, 
she will be brought face to face with her 
victims — her own children — whom she 
murdered in their prenatal existence; 
and no excuse of ignorance will avail her 

45 • 



anything then. As she has violated the 
Laws of Nature, even in that proportion 
must she also suffer and atone for that 
violation. Her accusing conscience will 
be her Judge, and it will demand that she 
make amends for the evils and injustices 
that she has committed. 

When the Soul is forced out of its earth- 
ly existence during its prenatal life, it 
enters spirit life and is taken in charge 
by congenial Souls whose qualifications 
adapt them to that branch of work in 
spirit life, and it is nurtured in an incu- 
bator, as it were, until the period of gesta- 
tion would have been complete, and then 
it is taken to the children's nursery where 
it is tended and instructed, and it grows 
in stature even as its physical body would 
have grown had it remained in physical 
life, From the nursery it graduates to 
the kindergarten, and then, as time pro- 
gresses, it enters the schools and colleges 
in spirit life and is instructed in the higher 
branches of education, and it takes up its 
life work as best it can under its handicap 
conditions. 

The terms "Heaven" and "Hell" are 
synonymous with happiness and misery. 

4 6 



They are conditions of the Soul, and not 
places. 

If the condition of happiness is not in 
the Soul, that Soul will never find happi- 
ness until, through evolutionary unfold - 
ment, it has worked out and overcome its 
condition of inharmony or unhappiness. 
While it is in that condition of inharmony, 
no locality or place will bring it happiness 
until it finds a condition of harmony 
within its own Soul. 

It will never find a condition of harmony 
within its own Soul until it has fully atoned 
for all of the evil and injustices that it has 
committed toward its fellow mortal during 
its earthly pilgrimage toward the perfect- 
ability and rounding out of its true Soul 
nature. 

No selfish Soul will ever find happiness 
as long as that condition of selfhood re- 
mains a portion of its individual make up. 

The Soul finds its greatest happiness 
when, forgetful of self, it labors for the 
true advancement of others. 

This same axiom is equally true of Souls 
in physical life, in the same proportion &tf 
it is true of Souls in spirit life. 

The Soul who recognizes the rights of 

47 



others will find that by so doing it gains 
and maintains its own rights. 

The Soul who seeks to maintain its own 
rights by trying to force others to recog- 
nize those rights regardless of recognizing 
the rights of others, will find that others 
will not recognize its rights. 

It is often said that "Man's inhumanity 
to man makes countless thousands mourn." 

But rest sssured, O, mortal ! that every 
pain and heartache that thou hast caused 
others to endure, will find its reflex action 
upon thee, and thy Soul will be obliged to 
suffer and atone therefor, until thou hast 
worked out and overcome that condition 
of injustice, by ministering unto those who 
are suffering and in need. Figuratively 
speaking, thy Soul will be in hell or misery 
until thine own accusing conscience has 
become an approving conscience. 

We hear the question asked : - What 
is Conscience? 

Conscience is the vital Soul-spark of 
Infinite Wisdom that is inherent in every 
Soul. It is the Infinite God Principle 
within every Soul ; the faithful Monitor of 
right and wrong ; the Infinite Judge ; the 
Accuser ; the Approver. 

4 8 



The joy and happiness of an approving 
conscience is the true and lasting joy that 
the Soul experiences. Figuratively speak- 
ing, it is the "Haven of rest" that mortals 
are ever striving to attain, and no happi- 
ness will ever be found without an approv- 
ing conscience for its foundation. The 
more the conscience approves, the greater 
the happiness will be found. 

Look well within, O mortals ! and con- 
sider well these subjects while you are yet 
living with the physical body, that you 
may learn to overcome your nature, and, 
indeed, be a conqueror of your own Soul, 
which is a greater conquest than the con- 
quest of taking a city by force of arms. 

Therefore watch, guard and overcome 
thine own Soul while in physical life. 

Ethereal Soul Realms. 

When the individualized Soul -entity, 
through succeeding earthly pilgrimages 
becomes developed to that extent that it 
realizes the necessity of developing all 
the faculties of the brain force, then that 
individual Soul will begin to take up, 
recall and retain the memory of its previ- 
ous earthly existences as an individualized 

49 



Soul, and thereafter will be enabled to 
comprehend the "Why and wherefore" of 
all natural laws ; and will progress more 
rapidly onward, until it attains that state 
of refined development and unfoldment 
when each individualized Soul will be 
complete, both male and female, in itself ; 
when it will have evolved and developed 
beyond the necessity of further earthly 
pilgrimages ; and it will then progress and 
unfold to the higher realms of Soul-life, 
beyond the realms of earth-life, even unto 
the brilliant and refulgent Spheres of the 
Divine Soul-life, where it will enter the 
Spheres of Infinite Wisdom, where it will 
take its place in the Universal Congress 
of Wisdom Souls that rule the universal 
progressive unfoldment of Soul existence 
and Divinity in Nature, through the ex- 
pressions of Divine Love made manifest 
through the great Over-soul of Supreme 
Life and Love Divine. 

In order to reach this perfected Soul 
existence when the Soul-entity becomes 
complete, both male and female, in itself, 
it must learn to control both the male and 
female forces in Nature. 

Thus, if the primal individualized Soul- 

5o 



entity takes on the male physical organism 
during its first earthly pilgrimage, it will 
take on the female organism during its 
next earthly pilgrimage — and will thus 
continue to alternate as long as there is 
any necessity for continued earthly pil- 
grimages for that individualized Soul. 

If the primal existence of the individ- 
ualized Soul-entity takes on the female 
organism in its first earthly pilgrimage, it 
will take on the male organism during its 
next earthly pilgrimage, and thus continue 
to alternate female and male as long as 
there is any necessity for continued 
earthly pilgrimages. 

This mundane world is but a counter- 
part of the ethereal or spirit world. 

Labor, rest and recreation are just as 
essential to the growth and development 
of the Soul in the ethereal realms as they 
are to the healthy growth and develop- 
ment of the physical in earth life. 

Food is just as essential to the spirit 
body to sustain and nourish it, as it is 
essential to sustain and nourish the physi- 
cal body. 

The food required to sustain and nour- 
ish the spirit body will not be like earthly 

5i 



food, but will consist of the essence that 
the Soul extracts from the fruits and flow- 
ers that grow in the ethereal realms. And 
when the Soul comes in contact with the 
physical environments, it also extracts the 
essence from earthly foods for the suste- 
nance of its spirit body. 

The more refined the Soul becomes, the 
more ethereal will be the food required to 
sustain the spirit body. 

This maxim is equally true of the Soul 
in the mundane sphere of life. 

The farther removed the Soul becomes 
from its crude and undeveloped state 
during its earthly pilgrimages, the less 
food of an animal nature will be required 
to nourish and sustain the physical body, 
for a fruit, cereal and vegetable diet will 
be much more appropriate to the progres- 
sive unfoldment of the Soul, and much 
more in harmony with the refinement and 
development of the Soul and the purifica- 
tion of its physical organism. 

The labor performed in ethereal realms 
will be determined by the laws governing 
the environments, and the circumstances 
in which the Soul finds itself. It will also 
consist in beautifying its habitation and 

52 



surroundings, and helping others to beau- 
tify their surroundings. And that labor 
will eventually become solely and strictly 
a labor of love. 

Some will be engaged in teaching and 
instructing those who pass from earth-life 
in early childhood. These children will 
enter schools for their unfoldment and de- 
velopment in Soul life, just as they would 
have done had they remained in earth life 
to grow up to maturity. These children 
will grow in stature in Soul life in the same 
proportion as they would have grown if 
they had remained in physical life to 
attain maturity. 

These schools will range all the way from 
the nursery to the college for advanced 
and higher branches of education. And 
each grade will require its full quota of 
instructors to carry on the work of educat- 
ing the pupils and preparing them for the 
duties and studies of the next higher grade 
of their education and development. 

In the proportion that the performance 
of the duties devolving on these instructors 
becomes a labor of love, even in that same 
ratio will be the results attained by their 
pupils in their Soul unfoldment. 

S3 



When the Soul feels the necessity of 
rest, it builds, by its Will-power, a magnetic 
dwelling place, which protects it from the 
sight and intrusion of other Souls during 
its hours of rest. And it will rest in mag- 
netic slumber, and become refreshed, and 
ready for renewed activity. 

When the Soul realizes a desire to pro- 
gress in Soul life, it will feel attracted to, 
and have a desire to communicate with 
and assist its friends in earth life, and each 
assistance rendered will give such real 
comfort to the Soul, that it will, from a 
natural inclination, realize the desire 
growing stronger to minister unto the 
trouble-environed mortals in earth life, and 
as degree after degree unfolds it will find 
that its greatest happiness will be derived 
from ministering unto those in earth life 
who are in sickness and in trouble. 

The Soul on entering spirit life often 
finds itself hampered and handicapped by 
the teachings of its early training ; and it 
is obliged to free itself from the influence 
of those erroneous teachings before it can 
progress into the higher spheres of Soul 
life and realize the benefits of evolutionary 
and progressive unfoldment and Soul 

54 



refinement and development in spirit life. 

In proportion as the desire to minister 
unto and assist others becomes an unselfish 
motive and is engaged in or executed for 
the sake of real good to others, and from 
truly philanthropic principles the Soul 
takes up the work of a ministering spirit 
and becomes, as it were, an angel of mercy, 
even in that proportion will the Soul make 
rapid advancement toward the perfecta- 
bility or rounding out of its true Soul 
mature of Love Divine. 

The recreation of the Soul will be of 
various kinds, even as it is in physical life. 
Parties will be formed to go on excursions, 
boating parties, athletic sports, picnics, 
social gatherings, theatricals, musical and 
literary entertainments, etc. 

When the Soul is sufficiently developed 
it will take journeys to distant Planets to 
study the life and surroundings of each 
one, in order that the Soul may round 
out and complete its growth, development 
and knowledge. 

The Soul will sojourn in^the ethereal 
atmosphere or aura of each Planet a suffi- 
cient length of time to acquire a knowl- 
edge of the habits, customs and progress 

55 



LofC. 



of those Souls who dwell in the aura of 
those Planets or planes of existence. It 
will be necessary for each Soul to sojourn 
in the aura of all the Planets before it can 
take up its dwelling place in the Knowl- 
edge and Wisdom Spheres of Soul life, 
and become a member of that highly 
ethereal Soul Realm, that Wisdom Sphere 
of Life eternal. 

This Sphere is most intensely active. 
Vibrations of Thought life are continually 
coming in and going out to all sections of 
the entire physical, spiritual, and ethereal 
Soul realms, transmitting instructions, re- 
ceiving details, and directing movements 
and developments in all sections and all 
branches of life and life force throughout 
the entire universe of life and life unfold- 
ment and development throughout the 
entire system of interlocking cycles which 
form the universal cycle-band of eternal 
and endless existence* 

All life apparently starts at a certain 
point in the first cycle, and goes complete- 
ly around the cycle, and when it reaches 
the identical point where it apparently 
started, it disappears from that cycle and 
enters at the starting point in the second 

56 



cycle and completes its course in this cycle 
to the starting point, and then merges into 
the third cycle, and thus continues on 
throughout the entire cycle-band of end- 
less existence. Thus in each cycle, it 
may be truly said, all life begins where it 
ends, and ends at the apparent beginning. 

The earth plane is the only Planet on 
which adipose bodies can exist, for it is 
the only Planet having a solidified ether 
formation. 

Thus the earth plane is the primal 
plane of individualized Soul existence, and 
all crude habits, such as impure language, 
the violation of sexual purity, the use of 
tobacco, liquor, and narcotics, with their 
attendant associations, have a powerful 
tendency to drag the Soul down and make 
it a slave to passions of various kinds ; 
and when it enters spirit life it will be 
obliged to free itself from the influence 
/ of all of these evil passions before it can 
progress to the higher * spheres of life 
eternal. 

All of the other Planets consist of an 
aeriform ether formation, in the atmos- 
phere of which Souls dwelling in the spirit 
body enjoy an habitation, and take up 

57 



and carry on a course of study and exper- 
imental work for the perfection of appli- 
ances to be utilized for the benefit and 
advancement of the Human Race. 

All inventions are perfected in ethereal 
life, and then a description of the mech- 
anism is transmitted to the sensitive brain 
of some deep-thinking mortal to be worked 
out, experimented upon and perfected in 
physical life for the benefit of Humanity. 

Each Planet has its distinctive course of 
study and experimental work, like unto 
the gradations and courses of study in the 
different grades of schools and colleges in 
earth life. Each Soul must sojourn in 
every gradation and take up every course 
of study before it can be fitted to enter 
the Knowledge and Wisdom Spheres of 
Life eternal, and become qualified to be- 
come a member of the Universal Congress 
of Wisdom Souls. 

The Soul will eternally progress in un- 
foldment, development and refinement, 
ever approaching nigh unto the perfecta- 
bility of perfect Soul life, yet never quite 
reaching that absolutely perfect state, for 
it will always find more beyond, more 
knowledge to be gained, and more beauties 

58 



to be unfolded. Thus progression abso- 
lutely becomes eternal progress in Soul life. 

When the Soul in its progressive unfold- 
ment enters the higher spheres of Soul life, 
beyond the realms of earth life, it can then 
communicate with mortals only by proxy \ 
for the spheres of earth life are too dense 
and too gross for the rarified and refined 
nature necessary to its existence in the 
higher realms of ethereal Soul life ; conse- 
quently all its communication with earth 
life will be through Souls dwelling in the 
intermediate spheres of Soul life, and by 
them transmitted to mortals in earth life. 

In the higher realms of ethereal Soul 
life, the spirit body, that the Soul dwells 
in, will, through evolutionary unfoldment, 
development and refinement, be evolved 
into the head only, and will float through 
the ethereal realms of Soul life, by the 
Will-power, with the ease that a thistle- 
down floats upon the summer breeze. 

The Soul dwelling in these higher ethe- 
real Soul realms will become glorified and 
shine with an effulgent glory, and when 
seen by the clairvoyant sight of mortals 
dwelling in the earthly realms, will appear 
as a bright and shining star, that will be 

59 



transmitted by being reflected on the 
placid mirror of ethereal Soul life, but will 
never be seen direct, for the effulgent 
glory will be too brilliant and blinding 
for the mortal clairvoyant sight to behold. 

The effulgent glory of approximately 
perfected Divine Love, the absolute God 
Principle of Life Eternal dwelling in the 
highest and most ethereal Spheres of Soul 
Life, is absolutely the most brilliant and 
dazzling light that is known to Souls 
dwelling in the higher realms of Soul life. 
Its brilliancy is absolutely incomprehensi- 
ble to finite minds to form any true con- 
ception thereof. Finite minds compre- 
hend by comparison. 

The effulgent glory of this approximate- 
ly perfected Divine Love is as much more 
brilliant than the brightest calcium light, 
as the calcium light is more brilliant than 
the tallow dip of ages past. It is as much 
more brilliant than the Sun, as the Sun is 
more brilliant than the Moon. 

It is the grand Central Sun of the Uni- 
versal Solar System, around which all 
Systems revolve. Its scintillations control 
all the complexity of motions, and keep 
all orbs in their proper places so as to form 

60 



the balance and counter-balance, and 
maintain the equilibrium of forces and 
power throughout the entire interlocking 
Systems which form the Universal Solar 
System of Deific Nature, and preserve the 
sublime harmony of the music of the 
Spheres whose enchanting chords of mel- 
ody attract all Souls to the Sphere of 
Divine Love, Life and Light in which to 
dwell forever. 

We might well compare the develop- 
iiient of the finite mind to the little bab- 
bling brook as its waters rhythmically 
leap along over the stones and pebbles of 
the mountain rill as it flows in its onward 
course to the Sea. 

And on the other hand let us behold 
the majestic grandeur and sublime power 
of Nature as represented in the mighty 
Falls of Niagara, and then compare the 
potency of this vast, grand, mighty and 
majestic energy of Nature to the approxi- 
mately perfected Divine Love. 

And what finite mind can truly grasp 
the comparison? But there enraptured 
will be lost in wonder, love and praise. 
And when they have striven their utmost 
to grasp and comprehend the comparison 

61 



they will feel as though they could almost, 
but not quite reach the desired compre- 
hension of the Divinity of Divine Love. 

We use the term "Approximately per- 
fected Divine Love," as the nearest ap- 
proach to absolute perfection that exists. 
If. absolute perfection did exist, there 
would be nothing beyond, and growth 
and progression would cease. 

As growth and progression do not cease, 
then what mortals consider perfect Divine 
Love, must, of necessity, be approximate- 
ly perfected Divine Love. 

All life in each Cycle is rocked in the 
cradle of the infinite deep, rocked as an 
infant fast asleep ; watched over and 
guarded through change and time, by an 
Infinite power of Love Divine. 

Thus Cycle evolves in Cycle throughout 
an unending Eternity of Progression, 
Divine Love, Divine Law, Divine Life, 
and Divine Nature. 



an. 




